Chapter XI

The rain kept on going and soaking the whole company to the bones to the point where almost all of them were getting pissed because of it. Bilbo had this annoyed expression plastered on his face as he rode his pony. While Bofur tried to see if he can light up his pipe and smoke to keep warm. Unfortunately, he couldn't.

"Mister Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?!" Dori voiced the grey wizard through the loud poring of the rain

"It is raining Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until it's done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, then you should find yourself another wizard." Gandalf replied annoyingly.

All they could do was to continue on with their journey.

"Are there.." Bilbo asked

"What?" Gandalf asked

"Any other wizards?"

"Oh, there are five of us."

Bilbo and Gandalf continued to have a conversation between them. Then after, Gandalf started on about how many wizards were there including him.

"Is he a great wizard, or more like you?" Bilbo asked. Earning a few chuckled from the others.

Maryse POV

Basically, I hate the rain. Well, not because it prevented me and Thorin to kiss. OKAY MARYSE STOP IT! STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT.

It has been like more than an hour after that incident. Even if I keep on trying to erase that thing from my mind, I couldn't.

So instead, I crouched down to hide the now noticeable bump of my chest from Thorin, since my wet clothes clung to my body. I wrapped my arms around myself in attempt to warm myself down and tried to lessen my shivering. Unfortunately I failed. I still felt cold and now starting to feel miserable.

"Here." I heard Thorin's deep voice

"Wha-?" I truned my head around when I suddenly felt a warm heavy wet coat draped over my body.

"You look cold." He cut me off.

"I...thanks..." I muttered under my breath and then I felt my cheeks heat up. I clutched the sides of the coat and wrapped it around me tighter.

"Hn." I heard him reply.

After that, came an awkward silence in the air. The only thing that I could hear was the heavy rain and faint voices of the others behind us.

I ran a hand through my wet hair then got my braid from the back and saw the silver metal clasp at the end.

That was when I was decided to ask him the question that I am dying to ask him for days

"Thorin, do you love me?" I blurted out

"I..." I heard his voice trail as we immediately came to a stop.

Then another moment of silence came. I dared to turn my head around to face him when suddenly I felt a soft pair of lips on mine.

It was like my whole world stopped there for a moment.

After I realized as to what was happening, I pushed him away and looked at him and I touched my lips with my fingers.

WHAT THE HECK. Those were the only three words that entered my mind

"I-I-I.." I stuttered as I started to feel my cheeks heat up. I tried so hard to look down, not daring to look at him because of embarrassment.

"Woah!" Fili and his pony came to a halt as soon as he saw his uncle and Markus kissing. Thus causing the others behind him to almost bump into him

"Laddie, what's wro- Oh!" Bofur was about to ask Fili when he saw what was happening. He looked around at the others and saw that they too have the same expressions on their faces; shock, happiness, and confusion.

For a while they all stayed frozen on their place, looking at Thorin and Markus in front of them. Kissing.

"They're kissing." Bilbo half whispered.

All of them just grinned.

Maryse POV

"I love you." I heard him barely whisper through the rain. As soon as I heard those three words, my heart stopped.

I looked up and there I saw him with a slight smile on his lips.

And there I was sitting in front of him on a pony being speechless as ever. I turned my back from him and buried my face into the coat in attempt to hide my blushing face

"I don't care whether you're a boy, I love you." He added

I felt his hot breath behind my ear before he licked and nibbled the shell of my ear making me moan in sheer pleasure.

Thorin kept on teasing me, now licking the trailing raindrop on spot just below my ear making me moan louder. My heart started racing, face feeling hot and my breathing became heavier. I leaned into him as I gave him more access of my neck.

"I love you." He mumbled against my skin. I feel so hot, my mind went blank after. I just didn't care anymore. I didn't care that he still thinks that I'm a boy. I love him

"Should we uhm..." Bilbo's voice trailed and squinted as he looked at the others through the rain.

"I don't know Mister Boggins." Kili muttered.

Even though Bilbo wanted to roll his eyes with such annoyance, he couldn't because his eyes were still glued on the scene just before them.

"Just...give them some time..." Dwalin gulped and turned his head to look away. He then also turned his pony.

The others followed his example and did the same.

Maryse POV

Once I realized and felt his hand starting to go up from my waist, I heard my inner fangirl shout in my head.

OH NO! HE MIGHT FIND OUT YOU'RE A GIRL! THINK ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS MARYSE!

Then suddenly, panic shot through me.

"NO!" I immediately leaned away from him.

"Wha-?" Even though the rain makes things look blurry, I saw hurt and slight shock on his face.

"NO! We...we shouldn't do this Thorin." I said and went down the pony not caring how muddy the ground is.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" He went down the pony and reached for me making me flinch. The hurt in his voice evident, even if I wanted to run to him and hug him, kiss him, and tell him 'I love you's', I just couldn't. My inner self wouldn't let me.

THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS MARYSE! IF HE FINDS OUT THAT YOU'RE A GIRL, HE MIGHT LEAVE YOU AND NOT LET YOU COME!

I took one step away from him.

"I..I can't explain! You wouldn't believe me even if I would!" I exclaimed.

"Try me." He pushed on and took a step towards me.

Oh no.

I took another step backwards.

"Why are you moving away from me?" I heard him ask as he again took another step forward.

Stop it Thorin!

I stepped backwards causing me to fall on the ground making me all muddy. I looked up and saw him about to help me up.

"Stop!" I exclaimed and looked down in embarrassment.

"I just..I.." I tried to make up some words. But I couldn't.

JUST TELL HIM MARYSE! FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR FRIENDS!

I took all the will to stand up on my own, looked at Thorin's eyes and started screaming things. Things that I didn't want to tell at him, yet I need to for the sake of me to be able to find my friends.

"I HATE YOU! I DON'T LIKE YOU! I WAS JUST PLAYING WITH YOU! I HAD THIS BET WITH MYSELF TO SEE IF YOU WOULD FALL FOR ME! IT WAS..." My voice trailed upon seeing Thorin's expression. His face was full of sadness, hurt, shock, and slight anger altogether.

"It was all...just...a joke Thorin." I couldn't take it anymore; I face my back towards him as I told him those words.

Silence filled the air; the only thing that could be heard was the rain and wind.

I curled my hands into fists so hard until my knuckles turned white.

"So please..stop...and don't come near me again..." I mumbled, shrugged his coat off me, and threw it at him.

After that, I ran, ran so hard through the forest, mud and rain not caring if I got my clothes all dirty again. I heard the dwarve's voices behind me, calling me back. I just ignored them.

While I ran, I did not notice that there was a fallen branch on the ground and tripped over it making me fall.

I sat up and started to think about the things earlier.

WHAT HAVE I DONE?! I screamed to myself.

I love Thorin so much! But my friends!

I started to feel warm tears fall from my eyes as I started to sob.

My heart hurts so much.

The sun was starting to rise and three girls were sleeping soundly on their big fluffy bed with white sheer fabric canopy filtering the sun's light. Crista slowly opened her eyes and looked around her. Elinor was beside her sleeping on her stomach while Elise was next to Elinor sleeping and drooling on the pillow.

Ew. Crista thought.

She slowly sat up and stood from the bed only to see through the room's big window the beautiful scenery of Rivendell with the rising sun's rays lighting it up

"Woah! Look at this guys! Mornings here at Rivendell look awesome!" Crista exclaimed so loud making the others stir in their sleep.

"Hrmrmrmm...Shut up Crista" Elinor mumbled as she got a pillow and covered her head with it in attempt to shield her eyes away from the sun's light.

"But guys!" Crista started to where the two were sleeping at and started to wake them.

After a good thirty minutes, Elinor and Elise finally got annoyed at the redhead.

"FINE! FINE! I'M UP! I'M UP!" Elise got out of bed together with Elinor.

"Aww never mind, the sunrise have finished. You missed it, maybe next time." Crista said upon seeing that the sunrise had finished and the sun was now shining brightly in the blue skies.

"Ughh..." Elise groaned

"I'm hungry!" Elinor complained.

"Yeah, me too."

"Where's breakfast?"

"I don't kn-" The redhead was about to reply when suddenly, a knock on the door was heard.

"I..I can't explain! You wouldn't believe me even if I would!" Upon hearing this, the dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf turned their ponies around only to see that Markus was already standing on the ground with their leader facing him.

"Try me." They heard him reply.

Then suddenly the two of them were in a backward and forward steps battle. Whenever Thorin takes a step forward, Markus then takes one backwards away from him.

"Why are you moving away from me?" He asked

After a while, they saw Markus fall into the ground. And stand up only to shout at Thorin.

"I HATE YOU! I DON'T LIKE YOU! I WAS JUST PLAYING WITH YOU! I HAD THIS BET WITH MYSELF TO SEE IF YOU WOULD FALL FOR ME! IT WAS..." Markus' voice trailed.

"It was all...just...a joke Thorin." After that statement, the people watching Thorin and Markus looked at each other with shocked and confused expressions.

"I thought that...he..he..." Bifur looked back and forth at Markus and Thorin feeling all confused.

"I don't know laddie, but I feel like there's something wrong." Balin said.

"There really is something wrong." Gandalf said making the others look at him.

Kili and Fili looked at each other with worried looks.

"So please..stop...and don't come near me again..." Markus mumbled before he ran off deep into the forest. Leaving Thorin standing under the rain with his coat in his hands as he stared to where Markus had ran to.

"LADDIE!" Bofur shouted at the retreating boy

"We need to go after him!" Nori said.

"Thorin! Go after him! It's dangerous for him to go alone!" Gandalf commanded, his voice boomed through the rain.

The king was suddenly snapped out of his trance and immediately mounted on his pony and went after Markus.

AANNDDD THAT'S THE END OF CHAPTER 11! WOO! First of all, I want to apologize to my readers for the suuuppper delay of the update. I promised in the sneak-peak that I would upload it last week Wednesday. But, then again I had some..well...nevermind ahahaha! So tell me, what do you think of the latest chappie? I myself kinda liked this chapter..hmm... Oh well! ENJOY! Read and Review!